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Ruud Water Heaters Review: What to Look For

An overview of Rheem Ruud water heaters and buying tips. Explore the gas and electric-powered tankless and tank-type, including heat pumps, condensing, and high-efficiency models.

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Ruud water heaters: Types

There are four groups of Ruud hot water heaters for residential use, using natural and propane gas, solar energy, and electricity that we will cover in this article:

  • Tank type water heaters
  • Tankless
  • Solar
  • Ruud heat pumps

Tank-type models

Ruud gas water heaterRuud gas water heater

Ruud water heaters that use the water storage tanks can be found as electrical and gas-fired units, offering an extensive line of products designed for potable water heating in homes and businesses.

Like other heating companies, the Ruud manufacturer implements special flammable vapor ignition resistant technology, FVIR in short, on its tank-type gas heaters, to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors, such as spilled gasoline, outside the unit.

Below is the list of gas water heaters produced by the Rheem Ruud manufacturer, atmospherically, direct and power vented:

  • Ruud Professional series
  • Pacemaker series
  • Power Direct Vent series
  • Power Vent series
  • Warrior series
  • Master series

Ruud models from the Pacemaker, Power Direct Vent, and Power Vent with Electronic Control series are designed as the high-efficient, Energy Star water heaters.

All the models are protected with the patented anode rod and Ruudglass lining against corrosion, allowing a limited warranty from 5 years for the manufactured housing gas heaters to 12 years max with the ProtectionPlus extended warranty.

Here is the list of Ruud electric hot water heaters:

  • Ruud Professional series
  • Marathon series
  • Pacemaker series
  • Point-of-use
  • Table Top
  • Indirect heaters
  • Master series
  • Warrior series

Tank-type units, run by natural gas or electrical ones, are still the most popular and affordable heating options.

Tankless type

Ruud tankless water heaters are energy-efficient and space-saving heaters, offering several important features.

Here you will find an EZ-Link cable that connects two or more units for high-demand homes; self-diagnostic system, great for troubleshooting with easy-to-read codes, new generation burner technology for low NOx emission, an Overheat Film Wrap for protection, and much more.

Six gas-powered models are coming from the Professional Ultra series that utilize tankless technology for on-demand and continuous hot water supply. The key feature is the sophisticated condensing technology that utilizes the secondary condensing heat exchanger made of stainless steel, which uses the latent heat energy found in exhaust gases. This is what boosts the efficiency to a maximum of 94% (min. is 92%), making them Energy Star compliant for significant energy savings.

Ruud water heaters with tank-less technology are durable; you can expect 15 to 20 years of good performance, and with the 12-year limited warranty on the heat exchanger and 5 years on the parts, they are more than welcome in our homes.

Depending on the size of your home and your needs, you can buy from the smallest 8.4 GPM model, enough for up to 2-3 bath homes, to a 9.5 GPM model, which is enough for heating and supplying water to up to three bathroom homes.

All the tankless units come with a digitally controlled thermostat, and due to the modulating gas valve, the temperature of hot water is easy to control and with high accuracy, while saving energy due to the smart power adjustments - to provide the required temperature.

Ruud tankless water heaters are Energy Star approved, which ensures energy savings and environmentally friendly use.

Solar models

Ruud manufacturer produces two types of solar water heating systems: active and passive. Both systems provide significant savings due to their ability to reduce hot water energy consumption from 50% to 90%.

Ruud solar water heaters can be combined with the electric and gas-fired boosters to provide water heating year-round when solar energy is not sufficient or available.

Ruud SolPak is the active solar water heating system that uses a circulating pump to move the water through the system. It is also called a "forced circulation" system, and it requires more power to operate.

A passive system uses gravity to run the water from the solar panels to the storage tank. Ruud designs Solaroid systems as the passive way of running the heated water.

A Ruud solar heating system initial cost is high, but it will pay off in the long run as it is using free solar power and green energy. You can also benefit from the government incentives and other available rebates, as these solar heaters are Energy Star approved.

Ruud heat pump water heaters

Ruud heat pump water heaters are using electricity to operate. This unit is the only electrical heater that is Energy Star qualified, as its energy factor is two times more than the efficiency of the standard electrical units.

The heat pump is equipped with a user-friendly control panel with an LCD display and touch-pad, so you can check, select or change the hot water temperature, diagnose the system during failure, and check out the history of the errors.

Moreover, since the control panel comes with a backlit and full-color LCD display, you can easily check and adjust all the parameters even if the unit is installed in dark rooms.

The EcoNet Communication Port allows you to connect the water heating system with the home automation and distant management, providing even more convenience to the user.

As said above, the unit is equipped with the control panel that allows you to choose one of the five operating modes that would give different temperatures of hot water, energy efficiency, and water supply:

The Energy Saver mode is used in most homes with typical demand for hot water. This is one of the most energy-efficient modes as the heat pump's work will be maximized while the operation of the electric elements reduced to the minimum.

If your home has low hot water demand, it is recommended to use the Heat Pump mode, a mode with the highest energy efficiency and minimized power consumption. In this mode, the electric heating elements are turned OFF.

The High Demand mode is ideal for families with a high hot water demand when using the heater for the simultaneous operation of multiple hot water fixtures. Both heat pump and backup electric heater are engaged as needed.

The Electric heat-only mode is a temporary mode utilized on a short-term basis when the heat pump is disabled. In this mode, electric heating elements are the only ones operating, so the hybrid water heater actually works as the electric unit resulting in maximum power consumption.

The Vacation mode allows you to set the unit work between 2 and 28 days, and the tank water temperature will be maintained at 82 F.

Ruud heat pump water heaters are similar to conventional electric units but are way more efficient and have lower operating costs. The footprint is almost the same; installation is as easy so as the maintenance. Even with the higher initial price, it pays off after only a few years. It is recommended for larger homes located in hot and mild climates.

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